Assigetob to the bailway matesials



2 SHEETSSHEET I.

J. G. COUTANT.

APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING AND CONVEYING PULVERIZED FUEL.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.3I. I914.

Patented Aug. 22, 1916.

J. G. COUTANT.

APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING AND CONVEYING PULVERIZED-FUEL.

APPHCATlON FILED AUG-M11914.

Patented Aug. 22, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

trap s res PATENT snares.

JAY G. COUTANT, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE RAILWAY MATERIALS COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

Specmcation of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 22, 1916.

Application filed August 31, 1914. Serial No. 859,355.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAY G. COUTANT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook 'and State 6 of Illinois, have'invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for C011- trolling and Conveying Pulveri ze'd Fuel, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates in general to the art of burning pulverized solid fuel and more specifically to a controller for feeding such fuel to the furnace in which it is to be burned. Various types of feeding devices have been suggested all of which, however, are subject to such disadvantages as packing of the fine fuel, clogging of the pipes by large pieces and failure to obtain a uniform mixture of the fuel and the gaseous medium in which it'is carried.

It is an object of my invention to provide a controller which will move the pulverized fuel uniformly to the point at which it is delivered to the burner pipe and which will suspend the fuel in a gaseous medium in the form of a fuel cloud before it' is drawn by the/injector into the burner pipe.

Another object of my invention is the provision of means whereby a plurality of burners may be fed and the supply of pulverizedfuel controlled from a central controller which, if desired, may be located atsome "distance from the burners.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent as the same is more clearly understood by reference to the following specification when read in connection with the accompanying drawings in Which- 40. Figure 1 is a vertical section through the controller; Fig. 2 is a side elevation showing a plurality of furnaces supplied from a central controller; Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the controller shown in Fig. 2, andFi 4 is a side elevation showing a. slightly .di%

ferent application of my controller to a plurality of furnaces. t i a On the drawing, 1 f dicates a fuel chamber which is preferably ,made of a flanged section, as shown in Fig. 1, whereby aplurality of chambers may be mounted one above the other, as shown in Fig. 2, and secured together by bolts similar to those shown at 2 in Fig. 1. Where a single fuel chamber is employed a hopper 3 is secured by similar bolts to the upper flange 4. Secured by means of bolts 5 at one end of the fuel chamber is a casing 6 which is provided at one end with a removable plate 7 suitable bolts 8 being used to secure the plate in position. The fuel chamber 1 is provided at the end adjacent the casing 6 with an opening 9 which registers with an opening in the end of the casing. At the opposite end of the fuel chamber a boss 10 is formed integral with the end thereof, said boss being provided with a bearing 11 adapted to support one end of a shaft 12, the other end of which is supported in a bearing 13 mounted in the boss 14, which is integral with the plate 7 Within the fuel chamber 1 the shaft 12 carries a screw conveyer 15 which extends through the opening 9 and into the casing 6. The L-shaped heaters 16 are mounted on the shaft 12 within the fuel chamber 1 and adapted to rotate therewith to continuously stir the pulverized fuel and keep it in a loose condition.

A pipe 17 is secured by means of screw threads or other suitable means in the boss 14 and is connected to a source of algaseous medium such as air (not shown). Within the casing 6 the shaft 12 is hollow, as indi cated at 18, and a plurality of holes 19 extend through the shaft to admit the gaseous medium. A flanged end plate 20 is removably secured to the shaft 12 at one end of the casing 6 by means of a bolt 21 and the plate 20 supports a frusto-conical screen 22 which extends within the casing to a point near the opening 9, a suitable framebeing provided for strengthening the screen 22.

A pipe 23 is connected to the casing 6- beneath the screen 22 and thispipe in turn is connected b suitable means .to the'burner pipe 24, an inJector 25 being provided at the the burner pipe 24. The shaft 12 is adapted to be driven from any source of power.

The operation of my device is as follows: Finely pulverized solid fuel is supplied to the hopper 3 and passes therefrom into the fuel chamber 1 where it is keptin a loose condition by-the revolving beaters 16. The pulverized material is continuously removed from the fuel chamber 1 by the conveyer 15 and is carried into the screen 22 which is fixed to the shaft 12 and revolves therewith. A gaseous medium is continuously supplied through the pipe 17 and emerging through the holes 19 mixes thoroughly with the pulverized fuel and passes therewith: through the screen 22, the material falling in the form of a fuel cloud into the pipe 23 whence it is drawn by the injector 25 into the burner pipe 24.

The screen 22 is of sufficient fineness to prevent the passage of any of the fuel that has not been reduced to a fineness sufficient to allow the same to be readily carried by the current of gas. Any material which is too large to pass the screen is retained therein and may be removed from time to time by dismounting the screen 22 which may be readily accomplished by removing the plate 7 and the bolt 21. The screen 22 has an additional function of separating particles of fuel so that they, when mixed with the gaseous medium from the pipe 17 readily form a fuel cloud with' the solid particles held in suspension. This obviates all clogging of the burner pipes which is a common defect .in previous controlling devices for the reason that the fuel is delivered to the burner pipe 'in suspension and can not possibly .collect therein to form a stoppage.

In 2 I have shown the application of my controllers to a plurality of furnaces 26. The fuel chambers 1 are here shown as connected one above the'other with a hopper 3 mounted on the uppermost chamber. Each of the chambers is provided with a casing 6 and operating mechanism therein so that each forms a separate and distinct unit, all of the units being fed, however, from a single hopper. From the casings 6 separate pipes 23 lead, as shown' in Fig. 3, .to separate injectors which draw the pulverized fuel intoindividual burner pipes 24. By this arrangement I am enabled to feed and control a plurality of furnacesfrom a single feed controller which may be located at a considerable distance from the-furnace. While the control is centralired in this 'application of my invention the feed to each of the furnaces maybe readily varied at will owing to the fact that each furnace isprovided with a distinct controlling device.

'In Fig. 4 I show another application of my invention in which a plurality of furnaces 26 are connected to a single controller which is supplied from a hopper 3.. The 6 controller is identical with that previously described and the pipe 23 leading therefrom is connected through an injector with av burner pipe 24 from which branch pipes27 lead to therespective'furnaces' 26. As all of the fuel which passes through the pipe 24 is not necessarily burned in the furnaces I provide a return pipe 28 which is connected to a suitable separating means, such as a cyclone separator 29, in which the particles of fuel are separated from the gaseous medium and the former are returned to thehopper 3. By this arrangement I am enabled to feed a plurality of furnaces from a central controller which is provided with a single fuel chamber, thereby reducing the amount of mechanism necessary to accomplish the desired result.

It is thought the invention will beunderstood without further explanation and it will be apparent that I have succeeded in perfecting a'controller and a means of applying the same which obviates many of t e objectional features which are inherent in the structures previously used for this purpose. With my controller it is possible to obtain such a uniform mixture of the pulverized fuel with the carrier gas that the mixture is extremely mobile and does' not settle in the conveying pipes to clog the same. Moreover, by the arrangements indicated in Figs. 2 to 4 it is possible to establish a central control station and to control the firing of all of the furnaces there.- in some of which may be at a considerable distance from this central station. This is an extremely desirable feature since much of the objection to the use of pulverized fuel from practical shop menhas been due to the necessity of installing complicated nace to be used.

It will be obvious that varlous changes ma; be made in the form, constructionand arrangementof the-parts without departing from the spirit and scope ofgthe invention or sacrificing any of its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described be:

ing merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

to said burner. 2. In a controller for conveying finely controlling apparatus adjacent each furparticles, and means to convey the mixture pulverized fuel to a burner therefor, the combination of a fuel chamber, means extending from said chamber to continuously convey fuel therefrom, a rotatable screen surrounding said conveyin means outside said chamber to receive sai fuel from said conveying means and to separate the fuel particles, whereby they are uniformly mixed with a gaseous medium, means for closing the end of said screen opposite said conveying means, and means for conveying the mixture to said burner.

3.'In a controller for feeding finely pulverized solid fuel to a burner therefor, the combination of a fuel chamber, means. for continuously conveying fuel from said chamber, a rotary screen for separating fuel particles, means within the screen for supplying and mixing a gaseous medium with said particles to form a fuel cloud, and means for conveying said fuel cloud to said burner.

4. In a controller for feeding finely pulverized solid fuel to a' burner therefor, the combination of a fuel chamber, means for continuously conveying fuel from said chamber, a rotary frusto-conical screen for separating fuel particles, means within the screen for supplying and mixing a gaseous medium with said particles to form a fuel cloud, and means for conveying said fuel cloud to said burner.

5. In a controller for feeding finelypulverized solid fuel to a burner therefor, the combination of a fuel chamber, a screw conveyer extending from said chamber for continuously conveying fuel therefrom, means surrounding said conveyor outside said chamber for separating the fuel particles, means within said separating means for supplying a gaseous medium to said particles to form a fuel cloud, and means for conveying said fuel cloud to said burner.

' 6. In a controller for feeding finely pulverized solid fuel to a burner therefor, the

combination of a fuel chamber, a 'tating means within the chamber, means or continuously conveying fuel from said chamher, a rotary frusto-conical screen for separating fuel particles, .means within the screen for supplying and mixing a gaseous medium with said particles to form a fuel cloud, and means for conveying said fuel cloud to said burner.

7. In a controller for feeding finely pulverized solid fuel .to a burner therefor, the combination of a fuel chamber, a shaft mounted therein carrying a screw conveyer for continuousl removing fuel therefrom, means surroun ing said shaft exteriorly of said fuel chamber .for separating the fuel particles, the end of saidshaft within said separating means being hollow and provided with openings to admit a gaseous med um to said fuel, whereby said fuel particles are thoroughly mixed therewith to form a fuel cloud, and means for conveying said fuel cloud to said burner.

8. In a controller for feeding finely pulverized solid fuel to a burner therefor, the combination of a fuel chamber, a shaft mounted therein, agitating means mounted on said'shaft Within said chamber, a screw conveyer carried by said shaft for continuously removin fuel from said chamber, means surroun ing said shaft exteriorly of said fuel chamber for separating the fuel particles, the endof said shaft within said separating means being hollow and provided with openings to admit a gaseous medium to said fuel, whereby said fuel particles are thoroughly mixed therewith to form a fuel cloud, and means for conveying said fuel cloud to said burner.

9. In a controller for feeding finely pulverized solid fuel to a burner therefor, the combination of a fuel chamber, a shaft mounted therein and carrying a screw conveyer for continuously removing fuel therefrom, a screen surrounding said shaft exteriorly of said fuel chamber for separating the fuel particles, the end of said shaft within said screen being hollow and provided with openings to admit air to said fuel, whereby said fuel particles are thoroughly mixed therewith to form a fuel cloud, and means for conveying said fuel cloud to said burner.

10. In a controller for conveying finely pulverized fuel to a burner therefor, the combination of a fuel chamber, means extending from said chamber to continuously convey fuel therefrom, a rotary frustoconical screen surrounding the extension of said conveying means outside said chamber to receive and separate the fuel particles, whereby they are uniformly mixed with a gaseous medium and to retain the coarser particles, and means whereby the accumulation of said coarser particles may be removed from said screen.

11. In a controller for feeding finely pulverized fuel to a burner therefor, the combination of a fuel chamber, means for continuously conveying fuel from said chamber, a rotatable frusto-conical screen removably mounted adjacent said chamber and fed by said conveyor, the end of said screen opposite said conveyor being closed, andv a casing forsaid screen having a removable cover adjacent the closed end of said screen, whereby the casing may be opened and the screen removed from time to time to clear the same of an accumulation of fuel particles too large to pass therethrough.

- 12. In a controller for feeding pulverized solid fuel to a plurality of burners therefor, the combination of a series of individual fuel chambers arranged one above the other, for conveying said fuel cloud to said CQIIiJIXIEII :neans for supplg infg sail cgamlgers burners.

with e means in eac 0 sai 0 am ers for continuously conveying the fuel there- JAY COUTANT' from, means for separating the fuel particles Witnesses:

and uniformly mixin them with a gaseous ERNEST H. MERCHANT,

medium to form a uel cloud, and means WM. 0. BELT. 

